Arc's Journal

To clarify, this rotating time has been rather suspect for a long period of time, although researchers claim that it is just after many monster's mating or reproductive cycles, which means many monsters are vying for more territory and therefore try to expand their own. Because of that, monsters make frequent attacks on various places. The most common ones we hear about are Timberwolves, Manticores, Vampire Fruit Bats, Cragadiles and Parasprites.

Timberwolves are naturally aggressive creatures to begin with, and ones seeking new hunting grounds are especially so, and will fiercely attack any threats to their pack. Although mostly seen in densely wooded areas, these omnivorous creatures can be a menace in open plains, consuming those creatures who reside in that habitat, and leaving naught but brush and dried twigs behind.

Manticores are similar to Timberwolves in ferocity, although they are usually solitary creatures. The venom in their Scorpian-like tail is a powerful paralytic and an affective anaesthetic if properly processed. Their large paws hide deadly claws, and their fangs can rip and tear with extreme prejudice. It's best to stay well clear of any Manticore you see. There have been noted reports of Manticores being tamed and kept as guardian pets, but I wouldn't suggest doing so. They are dangerous from birth, and their poison only dull with age, meaning the youngsters' are at their most potent.

Vampire Fruit bats are more a nuisance than anything else thankfully, and can usually be peacefully relocated with naught more than a bite or two. Just be careful, some of them don't have the best hygiene and their bite may become infected. Some antibiotics and bed rest though, and you'll be right as rain.

Cragadiles are rare and difficult to deal with creatures, who really don't like to be bothered. Their thick skins make it actually easier to relocate them than attempt to slay them. It's like trying to cut a boulder with a spoon edge. Just... report them if they're out of place and let more qualified ponies deal with that.

Parasprites are a pest, and must be reported on sight. After the events in Ponyville, as reported by Princess Twilight Sparkle, Parasprites are carefully monitored by an actual team of ponies in the Equestrian Wildlife Bureau to make sure they never grow to plague proportions, as the famine that could cause would be monstrous.

As the Royal Guard do not, however, have the ponypower to spare, we often and usually turn to a licensed guild of registered Monster Hunters. We are careful in vetting these brave beings, and pay them handsomely depending on the job required, and they are free to seek their own fortunes as well, so long as they listen to and accept our requests if possible.

On a quieter, more absurd note, it has been reported by a few ponies, who have yet to be vetted properly and many who were acting quite... unbefitting of proper Equestrians. Raving about Succubi and such nonsense. A myth long since forgotten. Absurdities, but I have taken to filing them away along with descriptions, times, dates and the pony's names and locations just in case. Might be an epidemic of some kind.

Earth Ponies

Beginning with the easiest to explain, Earth ponies have a very basic thaumaturgic physiology, in that most of their magic is spread evenly through their body. However, unlike their cousins, Earth Pony's mostly reinforce their own physical bodies with this latent power. Much of their raw physical strength comes down to just how much magical power they can cycle through their muscles and bodies.

It's also why, historically, Earth Ponies are hardier, tougher and much more resistant to damage and disease than their cousins. Consequently however, their magic can be fed into the land as well, thus their famed abilities to cultivate and sculpt landscapes, leading to some of the best farmers in Equestria, such as the famed Apple, Orange and Cherry families, all being Earth Pony lines.

That being said, their power to sculpt can into the power to destroy as well, as is possible for all power. Records indicate the very first Earth Pony to make her way into the guard, a little known 'Shale Stone', earned her spot by decimating a well known lieutenant in a challenged duel at the time by kicking small boulders at him that she herself broke out of the grounds of the dueling field. Lieutenant Thunderclap, respectfully and rather enthusiastically, petitioned to have her inducted immediately for training.

It's said her family line still exists today, but as rock farmers, whatever that means.

Pegasus Ponies

Pegasi are nimble, light and known for their aerial acrobatics. However, physiologically, their wings should not be capable of lifting their own weight. From a purely scientific standpoint, a pegasi's wings would have to be twice their body length in order to lift them off the ground.

However, their innate magical power allows them to do so by manipulating just how much air they displace as they flap. The magical pathways of a pegasi don't lend well to physical power, but does lend to endurance and speed, with much of their magic pushed into their wings, and tips of their hooves. "Tips of their hooves Arc?" I hear you ask, "Why would that matter?"

It's how they mold the clouds, and how they harvest rainbows. It also helps prevent them from being electrocuted by storm clouds when they jump on them at three in the morning outside your bedroom window. Some pegasi are less inclined to fly than others, and that does show in their thaumaturgic physiology. The caretaker of animals in Ponyville and Element of kindness, Fluttershy, is a perfect example of this.

In other cases, like her fellow element Rainbow Dash, the magic pathways are almost overdeveloped, leading to air splitting feats of aerial speed that could lead to shockwaves as they break the sound barrier, moving faster than you could hear them. These feats have, naturally over time, made their bodies more resistant to forces like gravity, but still, according to Thunderclap, very much vulnerable to taking a rock to the face.

Unicorn Ponies

The most unique of the first three subspecies, Unicorns are physically weak, and often push towards physically fragile. With almost all of their magical pathways being pushed solely towards their horns, the focal point for their ability to physically manifest magic, it leaves very little for other improvements, save for a reservoir or, as we will call it, a 'pool' of raw mana held generally in the chest area.

As a result of this, Unicorns are often considered smart, clever, or dangerous, and it's rarely just one of those. A unicorn's inherent ability to absorb magic at a higher rate, and also externalise it makes their pathways the most unstable, but also the largest. Historically speaking, unicorns used this ability to look down upon the other pony species, and it's a great stain upon our legacy.

That being said, Some unicorns are much more proficient, or are perhaps wired better, in using their natural born talents than others, and others show a natural proficiency not just for efficiently utilising their own magic, but also in absorbing more to keep casting. Powerful, well known unicorns such as Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Shining Armour and Starswirl the bearded were known to have immense storage capacity, fantastic absorption, or a mixture of both.

Others, such as myself, not so much.

Thestrals

It should be stated I am no expert in Thestral physiology, either thaumaturgically or physically speaking. However a cursory study has lent itself well to the development in the olfactory and visual organs of our nocturnal cousins, alongside similar strengths to the Pegasi's wings. The ability to screech to debilitate foes appears to be a purely physical ability evolved from their nocturnal habitats. This warrants further study, and I would be greatly lucky to have such a chance.

Celestian Church;

The name speaks for itself, The Celestian Church worships Princess Celestia herself as a goddess, and it's not hard to see why. She's lived for thousands of years, she's stunningly beautiful and exceedingly powerful, as well as being blessed with aspects of all three tribes. There are a few splinter branches of the church, but overall the tenants of the church aren't actually that bad. Much of it revolves around doing unto others as you would have done unto yourself, which is nice, alongside several of Celestia's own beliefs turned into gospel. Fanatics do exist however, and many of them still hold malevolence towards Luna as a form of dark goddess waiting for her moment to snatch away power once more.

The fools.

Lunarian Church;

Much like the Celestian faith, Lunarian ponies revere Luna in a similar manner. However, perhaps due to it being recently returned and therefore a bit young in Equestria, it seems to be not only smaller, but a lot humbler than the Celestian church. Revering Luna as the mother of dreams and Lady of the Moon, they less see Luna as a goddess, and more as an avatar of the night. They have strong beliefs in protecting the weak and meditating upon their own weaknesses that they might triumph over them. There are rumours of fanatical cults dedicated to Nightmare Moon, but the church vehemently rejects such beliefs, believing that the Nightmare shouldn't ever need be seen again. They also don't hold the draconian beliefs and oaths the Celestian church does, like those of celibacy.

Tribalists;

It's important to note Platinum's guardians were all unicorns, as the times were rather uncivilised and racism and classism ran rampant between the three pony tribes. Therefore, their armour was, largely, ceremonial more than useful in a protective stance, and instead focused on the gemstones imprinted in them to store excess mana in for larger and longer spellcasting. Later, they joined forces with Commander Hurricane's military upon the alliance of the tribes, and pegasi became more common within the Guard ranks, and were prized for their speed, agility and bravery. Earth Ponies were the last to join, and only after a long fought battle for true equality between themselves and their fellow ponies.

After the forced famine to prove their worth, Earth Ponies were inducted into the Guard ranks as well, however they brought in stronger armour and shields into the mix. Whilst shields are not often used even today, there are several Guard ranks specifically trained in their use in the case of sieges and riots, to close off the streets and create chokepoints. Their strength became a huge boon to the Corps. These separate ranks of guard, as each was still segregated into pony species at the time, though allied closely, were eventually combined into one united militant front under the sisters Luna and Celestia, who came in to save Equestria from several different threats. Over time, Celestia and Luna agreed that the night and day shifts would fall to different corps. Thus, the Night and Day corps were created, and the Thestral species was discovered. Luna took a special love to these nocturnal ponies, and welcomed them wholeheartedly into her guard, with them almost worshipping her.

Then, tragedy. Luna's fall. The Thestral guards fought for their Queen, and as a result were forced to flee upon her defeat. It was then the Celestian Guard, the Golden Order as it was called, was created. This order swore its existence into serving and protecting Celestia, and evolved into the Celestian Church that we know today, still worshipping her as a goddess. This particular corps ran rampant through the Equestrian society as Princess Celestia fell to her own depression and despair over her sister's fate, even forcing the title of 'Empress' on her and forcing other ponies to bow down to her and worship her. However, when Celestia finally recovered and realised what had happened, she came out with a vengeance, swiftly stomping through the Golden Order like a mare possessed, and not only put a stop to their actions, but demoted, imprisoned and executed several different high ranking guard officers for their acts.

During this time, she took control over the construction of Canterlot, initially set up by the Lord Regent, who had held the highest place in the Golden Order and spoke for the crown, or rather for himself. Gold Sun had ordered the construction of Canterlot, though it went by a different name at the time, and the plans held significant sway towards his religious beliefs. Celestia struck out many of them, restored the respect of the ponies towards her and between themselves, and took a personal hoof in not just directing construction, but helping in construction as well.

The Guard were held to much higher standards once Celestia took control again. She campaigned for the return of the Thestral species, though at the end of it all, it took nearly a thousand years for them to reappear. The guard reformed, a new miltiary was formed as a separate entity, and the Guard gradually became more of a policing force for the entirety of Canterlot and then Equestria. With the return of Princess Luna, the Lunar Guard is returning as well, with several Thestrals returning finally to the spotlight, joined by many ponies, though they are still fledgling, they are working hard to prove themselves once more.

And I think it's excellent to see so many working together again.

If there's anything else you wish to know about the Guard Corps history, please let me know. If this Journal works how it's meant to, in any case.