She was left behind by her parents in an alley. She worked hard to survive but all the unreasonable fillies and colts would mock her, shouting ‘blank flank!’ or ‘lavender rags’, anything to make her feel miserable. She knew no help would come, for she was just an abandoned filly on the streets, homeless and lonely.
The streets were a rough place for a filly. Alleys twisted and turned on each other, tall buildings cast a shadow in which those kind of stallions could hide. Her coat's lavender coloring, rarely seen in that part of Corona’s Empire, made her a target for wanting stallions. She roamed the dangerous streets, knife and razor always stashed securely on some part of her body. She had only one motive on the streets and that was to survive. The streets were her life with all its dirt-stained walls.
She started conning ponies out of their money, stealing food out of stores and sometimes when winter arrived, when the stores were empty, she begged on the snow-covered streets. She only did what she had to do, her morals and pride could rot in Tartarus. Perhaps, she had thought once, in a different world, she would not have to do these things.
The seasons went by, and the lavender filly of the streets turned slowly into a mare. She finally decided to leave the town for another, as each year, more inhabitants left and lesser food was being delivered into the town. She gathered what salvageable pieces of tattered cloth that were left in the trash and fashioned a cloak and barely usable rucksack for the journey. She stole a few loaves of bread from the bakery and some tins of canned food from the grocery. Finally, she left the town of which streets she grew up on.
She traveled upon the wings of the mass migration to the heart of the Empire, the grand Capital. She followed the trail of fellow ponies travelling to the Capital and she stopped by one of the towns frequented by the travelers of the rural townships.
‘Lunar Dawn’ creaked the swaying sign hanging from the roof of the bar. This was the most popular bar in the town of Haven. The lavender mare pushed open the bar doors, instantly being greeted by the sound of rowdy travelers, restless from the journey of the dull plains.
‘Howdy there! Welcome to the Lunar Dawn, the best bar in all of Haven! What would ya like?’ An orange mare wearing a worn-out Stetson hat called out to her.
‘Do you have a bottle of Applejack?’ The journey had been rough, both physically and mentally and for once, the young mare thought, it would be nice to pamper herself. Applejack was a hard-to-acquire beverage back in her hometown and she only tasted it once, however, the taste stuck with her and she longed to finally get another taste of that sweet poison.
‘Applejack? Why of course we do!’ The bartender took out a bottle of translucent orange liquid and filled a wooden mug with some of it. She slid the mug towards the lavender mare with the almost perfect accuracy that was expected of a professional in these parts of the Empire.
‘Thank you, ah...’ Not knowing the bartender’s name she trailed off.
‘Applejack! Nice to meet ya…’ So the mare was named after the drink?
‘Twilight, now how much was this?’ Twilight pointed her hoof towards the drink she now held in her grasp.
‘My treat, it’s nice to know customers’ names once in a while, it’s refreshing. Most of the ponies that come to this bar don’t like to disclose such information.’ Applejack replied.
‘I’m not most ponies. Besides, it’s kind of obvious with my coat color.’
‘I can tell. Well, I’m free for the rest of the night, after all that guy,’ she looked at a red, bulky stallion, before continuing, ‘can manage this place on his own.’
With that hint, Twilight engaged herself in a conversation with Applejack. The more she talked, the more she felt happy. She felt all the hardships she experienced disappear as she poured out all her sorrows to Applejack. They chatted about many topics, like old friends would, before Applejack brought up a topic that caught her attention particularly.
‘Twilight, did’ya heard about the War?’ Applejack inquired.
‘What war?’ Twilight had never heard about a war in any of her travels, she was curious for she had been on a long journey.
‘It’s rumored that we’re currently at war with the Griffonic Alliance. It’s a sensitive topic so I’m not surprised that you never heard about it, I only stumbled upon it due to one of the patrons of the bar.’
‘This won’t end up well for us would it?’ Twilight muttered, the probability of winning the war was low for the Griffonic Alliance consisted of The Griffon Kingdom, The United Changeling Hives and The Draconic Knights, Applejack informed her. They were all superpowers in their own right and the Empire was only just one superpower.
‘Ya bet it won’t. I wonder what Corona was doing, declaring war like that…’
Twilight agreed but their mood was by then was too somber to continue the conversation as it had been. They ended their night together there and Twilight headed out of Lunar Dawn after a farewell to Applejack who had told Twilight of her wish to meet the lavender mare again.
‘Farewell, Applejack.’ With those words, Twilight trotted out of the bar and in the blanket of shadows caused by the night, she sneaked out of the town of Haven, silently and unnoticed.
After months of travelling, Twilight finally found herself beneath the tall walls of the Empire’s Capital, Equinox. The walls were made out of scorched earth, said to have been burnt by Corona herself. Guards wearing the blazing red armor which signified their fealty to Corona stood straight and imposing as they shone their burning light towards all who meant harm to their queen. They crossed their spears as they processed each and every pony who wanted entry to the Cities.
‘Name?’ The guard on the left asked Twilight.
‘Twilight Sparkle.’ She answered politely.
‘Occupation?’
‘…Traveler.’ This she answered hesitantly for the truth was she had no trade to fall back on. The guard gave her a glare, whispering to the guard who stood beside him. After a hushed discussion, the guard on the right continued questioning her.
‘Reason?’
‘I decided to abandon my hometown for food was growing scarce and life was becoming harder. Many ponies from the surrounding townships decided the same too and we all traveled together so to seek a better life in the Capital. It doesn't matter if I can’t enter the Inner City but for the sake of I and many others please at least allow entry to the Outer Cities.’ Twilight just spoke what she felt but it seemed the guards were surprised. Were there really so many greedy ponies that wanted entry to the Inner City?
Another discussion took place hurriedly, after which the guards had finally seemed to agree on something.
‘You may enter, Twilight Sparkle, may Corona guide you.’ With those words, a bright light flashed across her eyes and blinded her as she felt her body dissolve into nothing only to be reformed in the dirt-filled landscape of the Outer Cities.
‘Welcome to Equinox, Twilight Sparkle.’ She muttered to herself, not very pleased to see how the Outer Cities of Equinox seemed to be a bigger replica of where she lived her life in her first years.