Sunset could have been so much more and she knows it. But that fact hurts her far more than she thought it did, leading her to lash out.

Out in the Bridlewood Forest lies a castle older than legends themselves.

In the dreary city of Canterlot, all that remains of a once-mighty Equestria, Rarity is restless. She's a skilled machinist, owner of her own repair shop, but the work is dull and lifeless. She longs to feel like she's important, like she's making a difference, like she could be somepony.

And with the griffon army continually threatening Equestria's security, there's no better way to contribute than to join the Royal Canterlot Army. They're always on the lookout for skilled engineers, and with her talent, it's not like they'd make her actually fight anypony... right?

This story is a prequel to Lover of the Moon, but they can be read in any order. Originally written for the first Quills and Sofas Expanding Universes contest, where it won first place.

Many thanks to Silent for creating such a fun universe to play in, and for inspiring this story. This story is posted with their permission.

Eager for more answers about Equestria's ancient history, Sunny Starscout uses one of her dad's maps to venture into a long-untouched forest in search of the past.

Cover by HeavySplatter@deviantart.com

Newcomers, welcome! Confused on the order of this story series? Look no further!

Part 1 (You are here):
Forgotten

Part 2:
Forgotten: The Frozen North

From here the story divides into two separate versions, no spoilers aside from what can be gleamed from the titles.

Part 3a:
Forgotten: Sunrise
Forgotten: Mists of Bridlewood (Currently in progress)

Part 3b:
Forgotten: The Crystal Princess

Sunset Shimmer fled from Equestria in search of the destiny that Celestia sought to deny to her. She dreamed of finding great glory and power in a strange new world. But she emerged on the other side of the mirror in a harsh cruel world beset by demons and troubled by division, conflict and racial animus: the world of Remnant.

Now, years later, Sunset has completed her studies at Canterlot Combat School and is ready to attend Beacon Academy. She hopes that in the more progressive Kingdom of Vale her appearance as a pony faunus will not be held against her the way it was in Atlas, and she can rise as high as her talents permit and seize with both hands the destiny she still yearns for.

Sunset finds herself assigned to lead three fellow freshman at the Huntsman Academy: Jaune Arc, who dreams of becoming a hero elevated above all others; Pyrrha Nikos, a peerless warrior who has everything that Sunset wants and hates everything about it; and Ruby Rose, a simpler and more honest soul who simply wants to save as many people as she can, and who might just light the way to their salvation.

Together they are Team SAPR, and together they are plunged into a world of mysteries, magic, allies and enemies, robot girls and Atlasian black ops experiments. It won't be easy, but if they can work together, teach Jaune how to fight and maybe learn to get along as friends along the way, then they might just save the world.

Original Cover Art by Mix-Up
Current Cover Art by MRK50
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