//------------------------------//
// Prison City 
// Story: Tales from a Fallen Land 
// by raven618 
//------------------------------//

'A hundred years?' "That's not possible. You don't look any older than I do."

Sunset sighed, "I realize this will be hard for you to understand. Let me try and explain." she looked like she was about to launch into a great tale, but was interrupted by a shock wave from the wall.

"What was that!?"

Sunset moved over to the former doorway, "The guards must have tracked my teleportation." She moved over to the window, "They'll be through that door in a few minutes. If you don't want to get arrested, you'll forget you ever saw me once we get out of here."

"What? No way. After you dropped that 'hundred years' bomb, there is no way I'm just going to let you leave without an explanation."

"Alright, whatever, let's just go!" She held out her hand, a teal runic circle appeared above her palm. She grabbed it and threw the circle out the window like a frisbee. Then she grabs my hand, "Hold on." the same circle opens up underneath us.

A familiar falling sensation fills my body before we appear in the alley behind one of the restaurants on the east side of the city. "Okay, we got to move or those guards will find us faster than you can say, 'Look out'."

"I think I know a place we can go." I grabbed her hand and lead her out of the alley and into the streets of Canterlot. I know these streets better than their builder's did, so I was able to lead Sunset through them without running into any patrols or watch points. We turned into another alleyway when from out of nowhere two men in royal armor suddenly appeared. Oops.

"Hello there," the guard with the maroon hair said, "and what are two young ladies doing running through the streets and alleys on a day like this?"

"I don't think the weather would have much affect on why they were running." His partner, who had orange hair, replied.

"Hey, shut up! You're ruining the moment."

Sunset looks like she's about to do something desperate. I need to think of someway out out of here.

"Twilight?" a voice called out. I looked behind the guards, there was Lemon Heart and Moondancer walking towards us, each carrying a towel and a back pack. "We've been looking for you. Did you get your Task?" Moondancer noticed Sunset for the first time, "Who's this?" To whatever deity is up there, Thank you.

"Girls! This is someone I wanted you to meet. Thank you, guards, for helping me find my friends." We slipped past the two to continue on our way.

"Oh, well, y-your welcome. And-and, enjoy your- whatever it is your doing!"

"Dude, you just can't talk to cute girls, can you?"

"Hey! At least I try to talk to them."

"FREEZE!"

We did. Turning around we saw an Equestrian Guard approaching from the entrance to the alley way. He was holding his spear, a long metal pole with a sharp black tip, pointed at us. His attention seemed to be focused on Sunset espesially.

Sunset raised her arms; one pointed at my friends, the other pointed at the guards, with her palms facing outward. Why does that seem familiar to me? It was then that a bright flash of light emanated from both her hands, temporarily blinding everyone else.

While the blast only blinded the Royal guards and my friends, it seemed to do something else to the Equestrian Guard. His face seemed to shift and change. His hair turned black, his ears became pointy, and his arms seemed to become hard, like they were covered in some kind of extra armor. He also seemed to shrink a few inches. He dropped his spear and covered his face, snarling and hissing as he did.

With the guards blinded, Sunset decided it was time to make a run for it. The Black Guard seemed to hear this and pointed in our general direction, "After them!" He screamed. When he did, I got a look at his eyes. They were solid blue, no whites, no pupils, just a pool of sky blue.

"Follow us!" I called to the girls as we passed them. Although they were still clearing the stars out of their eyes, they managed to keep up with us. The two guards on the other hand were continually running into dumpsters and large piles of boxes.

We ducked into a side alley, I grabbed Sunset to make sure she stayed with us. The four of us slowed down, the sound of pursuit dying away behind us.

"Okay, now that that's done," Lemon panted, "Can someone please explain what is going on? Twilight! What happened with your task? Who is this girl? Why are the Blackguards chasing you?"

"Her name is Sunset, as for the rest... let's head inside first."

Sunset looked at me, "Inside where?"

I grabbed the handle of the backdoor of the store we were hiding behind. Inside was a room filled with rolls of cloth, boxes full of buttons and other ornaments, and a few cases of thread.

"Mom! Can we come in!?"

My mother came into the storeroom. And is immediately subjected to Sunset's 'paparazzi treatment.' I slap her upside the head before checking to make sure my mom is okay.

"Twilight? I thought you'd be out getting your Task now." My mother is about twice my own age. Like my own, her hair is streaked into different colors, white and purple alternatingly. She's wearing an ivory colored suit coat and long skirt. She's wearing a silver necklace with me and my brothers' birth stones on the star shaped charm. "Who's the girl with the flashy hands?" She asks me.

"We were kind of wondering the same thing." Moondancer is closing the door, while Lemon is eyeing Sunset like a hawk watching a young rabbit.

Sunset sighs in defeat, "I'm going to tell you a story. Many parts of it are going to sound fantastic, or even made up, but I ask you to leave any questions or comments until the end." The four of us nod our heads and sit down.

This strange girl sits down and begins her story.

"Over a hundred years ago, the ruler of Equestria was a woman, named Princess Celestia. She was kind, beautiful, wise, and one of the most powerful magic users ever. Every one of her subjects loved her. She wasn't like other rulers, she traveled her kingdom seeking to personally help people in need. She trained a group of young mages who became her pupils. Among those students, was me.

"Celestia took me in and raised me like her own daughter. She taught me everything I know about magic. She's the best leader we've ever..." She trails off, what looks like tears start collecting in her eyes. "To make a long story short, life under her rule was paradise for most people. But it seems that not everyone was satisfied with her leadership.

"We didn't know who they were, or where they came from, but a large force of creatures launched an attack on Canterlot. They looked like humans, except for a few genetic differences. They overwhelmed the guards and invaded the city. I found myself cornered by a small group of them. I can still remember the cold looks in their eyes, the flash of their sharp teeth.

"One of them, far larger than the others, came up behind them and attacked me. I tried to fight back, but he was so powerful. He had some kind of staff, it seemed to drain my magic. I thought he was going to kill me, but instead he pointed his staff at my heart and...

"The next thing I know, I'm above the planet. I couldn't feel my body, just this sense of being cold. I was vaguly aware of this, feeling of motion, I can't really explain it. After some time of this, I was back in the castle, but now the invaders were in complete control, and they looked more like people. To make matters worse, it seemed like no one had ever heard of Princess Celestia, much less an attack on her castle. I spent the next few days hiding and stealing food. I leared quite by accident that hitting the invaders with a sunlight spell made them drop their disguises, as well as blind them."

"So that black guard back there, he was one of these, 'invaders'?" Lemon Heart asks. I look at her in surprise, 'So she saw what happened to that guard as well.'

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, all of the 'black guards' as you call them, are the same species as the invaders. It was when I accidentally ran into Twilight here that I learned a startling discovery; that between when that man hit me with his staff, and my reappearance, a hundred years had passed. And in that hundred years, the invaders had taken over Equestria."

Silence fills the room, the implications of what she just said weighing heavily on my mind. It's true, I've never heard of anyone called Celestia. But now that I think about it, apart from Chrysalis and her father, I can't think of any of the names of Equestria's rulers.

"Okay," Moondacer says, "let's say for a moment that we believe your story, that you have been sent a hundred years into the future. Nothing says that we've been conquered. Maybe your princess made a peace treaty with the invaders, and now they live peaceful lives among us humans."

"It's not just that! No one in this city has ever been outside it's walls, or can remember meeting anyone from outside." Sunset's getting really worked up now. I'm worried the guards are going to hear her and investigate. "No one's is alowed to choose their occupation anymore, it's chosen for them by the Queen."

My thoughts go back to my Task ceremony, how the Queen's eyes had seemed to be glowing. But that meant nothing, I mean she gave me the Task of her handmaiden, it's what I'd been hoping for since...

I hated the idea of handmaiden-age. Always waiting on her highness, never able to say anything, being away from my family. I wanted to continue my studies, as a mage or teacher. How could I have forgotten?  Her eyes glowing as they look back into mine. Was Sunset right? Were people assigned their task by no other decisions than the Queen wanted them there?

I return my attention to the present. Sunset seems to have just finished explaining that no one can remember any history from before the reign of King Chitin. Moondancer appears to be trying to prove her wrong, Lemon is just sitting there. My mother has been remarkably quiet this whole time. Looking at her, she seems unusually calm.

"I guess the question now is, what are you going to do about it?" I ask.

Sunset holds her head, "I don't know. Before I was searching the castle for some clue as to what happened, but now. I'm stuck in this city, a prisoner, like all of you."

"Well then," My mother says with a clap of her hands, "let's get you out of Canterlot."