Now listen little ones and gather round, this is a story of how the Ponies and Ponyland came to be. It all began long ago with Coco. She was an ordinary brown pony with tan hair, a white blaze on her forehead and white on her forelegs. She had two peculiar daughters. These two were very unlike the rest of the ponies. Coco believed it was because they were born under the rainbow.

    They were very strangely colored. Both shared the same dark pink heart markings on their sides. Sugar was entirely pink with a white blaze on her forehead. Sunshine looked exactly like her sister, except that she was yellow.

    They all lived with the other ponies, and worked in the king's fields. Although they had a simple life, they were happy. The elderly king was kind and loved them all. He was fascinated by Sugar and Sunshine, and often brought them sweets. He loved his land and the animals in it. The Ponies had little work to do because the king had turned most of the fields into tree-shaded meadows amid rolling hills of grass. Thus it was for a long time.

    Then one day the old king died and since he had no children, his nephew assumed the throne. His name was Adrian, a cold-hearted man, with a face of etched steel. He looked upon his lands and saw, not the beauty, but what he could earn from it.

    Gone were the happy days of the kingdom. King Adrian tore up the trees for lumber, killed the animals for sport, and dug up the rolling hills for the stones within. Soon all the birds and animals had fled, the kingdom was silent. The Ponies worked from dawn til dusk, collapsing when they were finally allowed to rest. One by one they wasted away.

    Coco and her daughters saw their land ripped bare and friends dying. Not knowing what else to do, they went to the grave of the dear king and weeping, told him of what had happened to his beautiful kingdom. Exhausted, they slept at his graveside.

    That night Coco dreamt of the old king. She found herself once more in the kingdom as it had been. Coco wandered with wonder under the forgotten trees and beside the laughing brooks. Finally she found him. His face was lined with grief. He had seen what his nephew had done, but there was no way for him to save his land although he had tried again and again to change his nephew's beliefs. He was weak from his efforts, so could not warn the Ponies from their impending doom.

    Yes, doom was coming and soon. Their land was dead. No food would be able to grow there for years to come, but the rain would be there soon. With no trees to hold the soil, the land itself would run like a river. The strong storm winds would blow everything into the muck and bury it.

    Coco's heart burst to know she would never again see the land green and fruitful, nor her friends happy and free. She would prefer to die rather than see these horrors, the king offered hope.

    "There is a safe place for you if you can reach it. You must travel long and far. I do not know if you can make it or if you will, but it is your only hope. Nor will my nephew let you go. His greed has eaten his soul, so he causes others to suffer rather than feel the emptiness. Everything else is gone, without the Ponies he will have nothing to sell for his supplies or anything to torture to fill the hollow that is his heart."

    "When the world was created, all the leftover magic was set aside. Over time it claimed its own space in the universe, as magic is inclined to do if left alone. Once every millennia it opens its doors in welcome. If someone can enter before they close, the land will claim them as its own. If no one comes,...there's always the next millennia. So far none have made their way through its gates."

    "The easiest entrance is over the rainbow, but since you have no wings to fly you'll have to take another path. It is riddled with dangers. You will must pass three tests before it will lead you to the door. Then the door itself will test you. Only the worthy can complete the journey."

    "Go, time is short. The gates will only be open until the harvest moon. The nourishing power of the planting moon tonight allowed me to enter your dreams. The rains will come soon and your quest is long. I know in my heart that you are destined for this land."

    "But how will I find my way?" cried Coco.

    "Follow your heart." whispered the old king tenderly.

    Coco awoke to the sun peering through a bank of clouds. A light mist was falling. There wasn't much time to prepare. She woke her daughters and went to gather the herd. When she told them of her dream, many agreed to follow. Coco was a trusted member of the herd and had been closer to the king than any of them. That day they planned their escape.

    They would have to leave a few at a time. Those that had decided to stay would cover up their disappearance. Adrian had never paid much attention to the ponies and had never visited the foals. He couldn't really tell any of them apart, which was a great asset to their escape. But it would be hard on those who stayed because they would have to work throughout the day without rest.

    That night, Coco sent the foals ahead to a meeting spot with a mare that was too old to work, but still strong enough to manage the excited brood. Throughout the next day, each pony was replaced by one of similar size and color. Before going ahead, each pony headed back to the stables to make it appear that they were going to rest with the others supposedly there. Eventually all of the escapees reached the meeting place safely, and they began their journey. When no one had ridden after them by the next evening they knew the plan had worked and that they were free.

    The ponies wandered for weeks, searching for the hidden path. At first all was well. The land bordering the kingdom was thriving. There was more sweet grass and clear water than any of them had seen since the old king's death. Some of the youngest foals had never seen green meadows and bubbling brooks. They rejoiced in the clean air and grew quickly. They seemed to become half-grown in the blink of an eye.

    Slowly the land changed. It flattened out, water became scarce, and the grasses became a burnt brown. The summer sun beat down upon their shoulders. The ponies had to travel by night to survive on what little food and water they found.

    They had been on the dry plain for almost a week when they suddenly came across a beautiful pond fed by a small spring. The grass boarding it shone a rich green. The ponies ate their full, but were careful only to eat what they needed to keep from being sick.

    As the herd prepared to sleep out the heat of the day, a few of the younger foals reported finding a small orchard. They insisted that Coco should see it, hoping she would approve the treat.

    It was very small. Four gnarled trees had been carefully nurtured and were just starting to bear small green apples. Coco looked down at a hopeful face and sighed.

    "Now don't you little ones even think of eating these apples. They don't belong to us." said Coco.

    "But..." whined one of the foals.

    "No buts. Someone has gone through a lot of effort to keep these trees alive. We are not going to spoil their harvest." saying this, Coco led the reluctant foals back to the herd. She warned all of them to stay away from the orchard. Then everyone settled down to sleep.

    Coco awoke suddenly to the sound of a gruff voice.

    "WHO TOOK MY APPLES?", it thundered.

    Coco stood up, but as she tried to move her hooves became cemented to the ground. Looking around, she saw that the others were similarly bound.

    "WHO TOOK MY APPLES?" it shouted again.

    The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Coco pieced together what must have occurred. She looked for the foals in the dim moonlight and found them huddled together a few yards away.

    "Don't tell me. I can guess what happened. I know at least one of you ate some apples when I specifically forbid you to." Coco said, giving them all a steel gaze. "Come forward and apologize right this instant."

    Meekly, two foals, a young mare, and a young stallion bowed their heads. Each quietly gave an answer.

    "I took an apple." whispered a foal

    "I took two." said the other

    "We're sorry for what we did." apologized the mare.

    "We'll work for you until they're paid off." offered the stallion

    The voice seemed to consider his offer for a moment, then asked another question.

    "Who are these thieves with? Those that came with them here, join them now." it commanded.

    They could move. Coco took one step and another. Then she merged with the frightened trouble-makers.

    "I am with them." she answered

    "So am I..." "And I..." said Sugar and Sunshine as they come forward together.

    About three-fourths of the herd joined them. As the last pony stepped over an imaginary line toward Coco, all went dark.

    "You have passed the test of Truth. We need to be truthful before we can trust and be trusted. Remember, it is never too late to ask forgiveness. You may now continue on your way." The voice seemed to rebound off stone walls then abruptly silenced.

    As the sun crept over the horizon, the ponies discovered a path at their feet. They gasped in joy. They had found the path to the magic! Then voices whispered from all around them.

    "What is it?" asked one pony.

    "What have you found?" asked another.

    It was then that they realized that only those who had stood with the guilty and the guilty themselves could see the path.

    After the two groups said their good-byes, Coco's group continued down the path. The land hazed out around them then reshaped itself into something different. The ponies were soon walking in a swamp. As the land regained its final details, the path disappeared.

    "Now where should we go?" inquired one of the older mares.

    Coco glanced around her worriedly. Then, remembering the old king's words, she turned to her heart. Something seemed to call to her. It flashed like a beacon in the night. She knew that they had to go toward it.

    "This way." Coco answered.

    The ponies trudged through ankle and sometimes knee deep muck, ducking branches all the way. Mosquitoes coated their faces. The humidity drained even more of their energy. The ponies were exhausted. They found a relatively dry piece of land, but it was too small and damp to sleep on comfortably. They had no choice but to sleep standing up.

    The next three days went about the same as the first. The ponies covered what ground they could, snatching their meals along the way. Ferns, lichens, and twigs sustained them along with the rare pools of mostly clean water.

    On the fourth day the ponies came across a group even more miserable than they were. The creatures remotely resembled small, furry foxes. Their legs and nose were shorter than a fox's and their fur seemed to be tan under the mud. They appeared to be trying to cross the swamp, but the poor things were almost swimming in the mud. They stretched out in a long chain across the wetland.

    As the ponies started to catch up to the straggly group, Coco over heard two of the younger fillies talking.

    "Oh the poor things...." sighed the first

    "No. Don't you event think about it!" exclaimed the second one.

    Coco smiled as the foal stopped to help a mother fox-thing and her little ones onto her back. Coco looked at the poor creatures and decided to help too. They seemed to be harmless and were grateful for the rest.

    As the herd past through the cluster of animals, everyone eventually relented and allowed a few of the fox-things on their backs. Although the mud they had soaked up made them heavy, no one had the heart to drop the poor things back into the mud.

    Finally the ground became solid again. The trees thinned and the ponies saw the sun for the first time since they had left the plains. When they came to a fresh, green meadow surrounding a crystal blue lake they allowed themselves to drop to the ground. Mindless of their hunger, ignoring the mud, and forgetting all about the fox-things, they fell asleep.

    When the ponies woke-up, the fox-things were gone. The ponies ate, drank, and washed away the layers of mud adhered to their bodies. Coco was helping Sugar and Sunshine finish cleaning up when she heard one of the ponies gasp.

    It appeared that the fox-things had taken time to refresh themselves too. Their coats were the color of burnished copper and shone brightly in the sunlight. One stepped forward and spoke.

    "You have passed the test of Compassion." he said. "We were nothing to you, yet you took the time to help us. No matter the outcome of your quest, you will always be welcome here. Just wish to return and you will be here."

    Just as he finished, the meadow vanished. Suddenly they were in a dark, cold place. The wind driven snow stabbed through the ponies' thin summer coats. The only thing visible, barely, was a faint path that seemed to be leading uphill. The ponies braced themselves and began the climb.

    Their ears burned with cold and it became harder to breathe the higher they climbed. Even though they were almost full-grown, the foals had trouble keeping up. As the white snow surrounding them darkened with the coming night, they found a small alcove to shelter them. After drying off as well as they could, they drifted off to sleep.

    The storm had let up slightly when the ponies continued on their way the next morning. It was little comfort because now they could see they were following a narrow, rocky mountain path. On one side was a rock wall, the other side dropped off into darkness. Rocky spires rose from hidden bases. What little else they could see was either rock or snow.

    It was roughly midday when Coco heard a panicked shriek from the back of the herd. She carefully threaded her way back towards the cry. There was little room to spare but the ponies gave her what space they could.

    "What's wrong?!" Coco asked as she came upon a crying mare.

    "They're gone! My twins! They wanted to be with the other foals their age, so I let them drop back. Now I can't find them!" she cried frantically.

    "When was the last anyone saw them?" inquired Coco.

    A gray foal stepped forward. "We were talking just a little while ago. I guess the last time was just before that curve when it started snowing hard again."

    "The edge!" screeched the hysterical mother.

    After having several ponies restrain the mother, Coco carefully made her way back to the treacherous corner. A few of the stronger ponies followed. Dread overcame Coco as she neared the curve. Her fear was realized when she heard a weak cry. As she looked over the edge it became apparent what must have happened.

    When the storm had blinded them for that instant, the one nearest the edge had slipped and fallen. She was sprawled on a small ledge several feet below. Her brother had tried to help and had only succeeded in getting stuck.

    As soon as she had reassured the foals, Coco sent a messenger back to inform the herd about what had happened. Most of the herd returned with the messenger, but with time so short a few had decided to press onward toward the gate.

    The ponies looked at each other helplessly. What could they do? There was no way to get to either of them and the sky was beginning to darken. They couldn't leave them there overnight either. The wind could blow them off their perches at any time. Or worse, small predators could easily climb down where the ponies couldn't. The foals would make easy meals.

    Then Coco noticed a vine clinging to the rock and another rooted a short distance away. Although they were too thin to use separately...if they could somehow weave them together like the humans did it might just be strong enough.

    Coco had Sugar and Sunshine gather what vines they could. After some tangles, they managed to twist the vines together. What resulted wasn't pretty, but it would do. The only problem was the sharp cliff edge. To keep it from fraying, one or two ponies would have to guide the vine over the edge while leaning out into blank space.

    The brother was closer, so the ponies lowered the rope down to him carefully. Gripping the line with his teeth, he hung on tightly. As several ponies pulled, two more kept the rope as far from the rocks and they could. Slowly, the foal walked up the mountainside. When he reached the path, the ponies had to pry the rope from his teeth so that they could rescue his sister.

    The sister was in a more difficult situation. The slightest move could crumble the ledge beneath her. She was also too far down for the ponies to get the rope to her without snagging it on the rocks. One of the ponies would have to bring the rope to her.

    "I'll go." offered a small blue-gray foal. As the others began to protest she replied, "I'm the only one small enough and light enough to carry the rope and not add too much extra strain on it."

    Reluctantly, the others agreed. They carefully lowered her down to the frightened sister. The foal slowing lowered her head just enough so that the bruised filly could reach the rope. She took it in her teeth and ever so gently, the ponies started pulling them up the slope.

    Then disaster struck. As the stranded filly stood up, the ledge crumbled. She went over the edge and the force of her fall carried the other foal over too. It was just too much for the rope to bear, it snapped. The ponies cried in horror as the pair plummeted toward the rocky needles below.

    Then before their eyes, the two slowed and came to a stop just inches from the angular spikes. Gradually the pair rose until they could step on the path and join the other ponies.

    Below them in the rocks appeared a rugged face. When it spoke the wind hushed to honor it.

    "You have passed the third test, the test of Courage and Honor. You honored your responsibility to care for those who put their trust in you. You had the courage to put your own lives at risk for theirs. The right to seek the gate is yours."

    As the face vanished, a cave opened in the rock wall behind the ponies. Quietly they hurried into the dark. The wall closed again behind them. After a time, the tunnel slowly widened. Suddenly the cave opened onto a high plateau. Before them stood a magnificent gate but just as they neared it, it slowly faded away.

    "We're too late!" cried a foal

    "No, we can't be. The old king believed in us. He believed that we could reach it. It is only another test, the door will come back." said Coco confidently.

    "Stop this. You are reaching for something that just isn't there. Come, let's return to the meadow, it is a nice place to make a home." replied a bay mare.

    "No. I will wait for the door." answered Coco

    "You will have to wait a thousand years!" the bay countered

    "If I must I will, but I know I won't have to." said Coco

    The bay mare gave Coco a pitying look as she turned back down the trail. "You will be welcome anytime you are ready." she said quietly.

    Slowly other ponies filtered out of the herd and followed until only Coco, her daughters, and the 6 fillies remained. By coincidence, each of the fillies had played an important part in the three tests. Two had eaten apples, two had been the first to carry the fox-things, one was the sister that had fallen, and the other was her rescuer. As the sun set below the horizon they huddled together for warmth.

    A whisper woke Coco. She looked up to see the full moon shining on a silver knocker hanging in mid-air. As she got up, the others woke and watched silently. Hesitantly, Coco took the knocker in her mouth and knocked on air.

    Suddenly the door was there. A light airy voice echoed in the still night air.

    "You have passed the test of Faith. Many have reached our steps, but all left in despair. You are the first whose faith was stronger than your doubts. Enter and be reborn." it said joyously.

    As the ancient door creaked open, the ponies looked in awe at the land before them. Sunlight streamed through the door beckoning them inside. Sparkling and new, the land was out of their dreams. As they entered, they each felt a strange sensation.

    The foals looked at each other in delight. Their coats and hair had changed into different colors of the rainbow. They even had their own symbols, similar to those Sugar and Sunshine had.

    For Coco, Sugar, and Sunshine there was no outward change, but they each felt a difference in their being. They couldn't describe it. A new purpose burned in their hearts as the voice began to speak again.

    "You have been chosen for a special task. The magic of this place is lonely. It is useless if not shared. From this day forward this is a land of dreams for all who dwell in the mortal world. You and your kin shall live here eternally as the keepers of dreams. The children of Earth will need you to guide them here to play." said the voice.

    "You must always take care of one another...for now that the door is open, it will be open forever. Just as you can come and go freely, so can those whose very nature would be to destroy you. It will be up to you to keep the land from becoming a nightmare like your home did." the voice warned.

    "But we are so few!" cried Sugar.

    "Not for long, for this is the magic of this place. Love and kindness when given and shared can only grow. Your spirits are awakening this place even now. In time others will come. They will come from the land, water, and air all around you. It will be up to you to teach them wisely. Ponyland will continue to grow for as long as your circle of love exists." replied the voice.

****************

    And so it has, and always will. You know already of the six foals, some of them are your mothers. They remained with us while Coco, Sugar, and Sunshine returned to Earth. If you hear the wind whispering in your ear one day, listen closely. It may be Coco and her daughters returning again to check in on us and to bring new children for us to teach to dream.